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Max Carey and Carl Mays are the viable new candidates for the Hall of Merit this “year.” They also will be on the sidelines rooting for two of the carryover studs from the “year” before (Eddie Collins, John Henry Lloyd and Smokey Joe Williams) because they won’t be making it this “year.”

With a record 56 ballots submitted this year, batting legend Ty Cobb easily won the first spot for induction into the Hall of Merit in his first year of eligibility. Competing against the greatest array of first-year talent ever seen, Cobb fought them off as if they were opponents on the field and recorded the highest point total ever (1,334).

Facing a tough battle for the second spot, centerfielder extraordinaire Tris Speaker narrowly beat out Philadelphia A’s great Eddie Collins by a mere 14 points (Negro League star shortstop John Henry Lloyd was not that far off either).

Beside those newbies, Smokey Joe Williams, Cristobal Torriente and Stan Coveleski also had very impressive first-year showings (especially the first two greats).

Of the returnees, Heinie Groh easily beat out the rest and showed that his support from last year wasn’t based on “new-car smell.” :-)

I also have to add one thing - I play in a Diamond Mind League that started with the 1924 season (we are currently getting ready to open 1925). It’s pretty cool that guys from that league are coming on the ballot now. Many of our ‘scrubs’ were actually pretty good players for a couple of years, check out Johnny Mostil, George Harper or Earl Smith for example.

Howard Ehmke deserves a special mention. Ehmke went 30-0 as a starter for my New York Yankees in 1924. His final record was 30-2, he lost twice in relief. We had a great offense (Speaker, Heilmann, Goslin and Kelly); but this was truly an amazing season, and I feel that more than just the 14 people in the league should know about it.

Of course, he lost Game 1 of the World Series (to KJOK’s Cardinals) 2-1, pulled down a no decision in a 3-2, 10-inning Game 4 loss and left Game 7 trailing 3-2, before Goose Goslin hit a 2-run HR off Emil Yde in the bottom of the 8th (KJOK’s only words were, “Oh my God”). But man that year from Ehmke is something that I’ll never forget. If this were the real Hall of Fame vote, and I could just vote yes for him like people have done for Jim DeShaies, it would be a no-brainer :-)